1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to digital cameras, and more particularly to a digital camera capable of setting printing-specifying information in printing digital image data acquired by photographing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In digital electronic cameras (hereinafter referred to as digital cameras), image data acquired by photographing is recorded as digital image data on a storage medium, such as internal memory or an integrated circuit (IC) card, provided inside the digital camera. Based on the recorded digital image data, the image acquired by photographing can be displayed on a monitor or printed with a printer. Some of the aforementioned digital cameras are known as digital cameras equipped with a liquid crystal monitor. In digital cameras thus equipped with a liquid crystal monitor, a photographed image can be immediately displayed on the liquid crystal monitor.
It is conceivable that a laboratory order function of setting the number of order sheets is mounted in a laboratory system for reproducing digital image data thus acquired with the digital camera, by printing that data. In this case, in the digital camera, printing-specifying information, such as the number of print sheets, a frame number, printing size (paper size), trimming, surface treatment or the like, is set. This information is recorded on a storage medium along with digital image data. In the laboratory system, the printing-specifying information is read out of the storage medium. In accordance with this printing-specifying information, the recorded digital image data can be printed. This is not limited to the laboratory system. Even in the case where users reproduce digital image data acquired with a digital camera by a printer, the printer can read out printing-specifying information from the storage medium and print the digital image data in accordance with this printing-specifying information.
However, if printing-specifying information consisting of a plurality of kinds is set to a plurality of digital image data, it will become difficult to know what printing-specifying information has been set and which digital image data the printing-specifying information has been set to and this will be considerably inconvenient for users.
The present invention has been made in view of the aforementioned circumstances. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a digital camera that is capable of readily recognizing the printing-specifying information that has been set.
To achieve this end, there is provided a digital camera which comprises: display means for displaying digital image data as a photographed image, the digital image data being acquired by photographing; printing-specifying information setting means for setting printing-specifying information to the digital image data, the printing-specifying information being used during printing; and control means for displaying the digital image data for which the printing-specifying information was set onto the displaying means so that the printing-specifying information corresponds to the digital image data.
It is preferable that the printing-specifying information during printing include a number of print sheets, specification of an index image, printing size, surface treatment, presence of a white frame, trimming and/or attribute data such as photographed date. The printing-specifying information is not limited to the aforementioned laboratory system but can also be employed when users themselves reproduce digital image data with a printer.
The aforementioned control means may be means for displaying digital image data with the printing-specifying information and digital image data with no printing-specifying information so that they are discriminated from each other, when they are displayed on the display means. Also, the control means may be means for displaying only the printing-specifying data for which the printing-specifying information was set, in displaying the digital image data on the display means.
Furthermore, the aforementioned control means is means for displaying the digital image data for which the printing-specifying information was set onto the display means in display form corresponding to the printing-specifying information.
The xe2x80x9cdisplay form corresponding to the printing-specifying informationxe2x80x9d means that when printing size, surface treatment, presence of a white frame, trimming, attribute data, or an in index image is set as printing-specifying information, an image is displayed in correspondence to an actually printed state so that the setting of the printing-specifying information can be visually recognized.
The aforementioned control means may be means for displaying a total number of print sheets on the display means, when the printing-specifying information during printing includes a number of print sheets. In addition, when the digital camera is further equipped with upper-limit value setting means for setting an upper limit value of a total number of print sheets that is used during the printing, the control means may be means for displaying the remaining number of print sheets with respect to the upper limit value of the total number of print sheets onto the display means. In this case, it is preferable that the control means be equipped with alarm means for giving an alarm when the number of print sheets exceeds the upper limit value of the total number of print sheets.
The aforementioned control means may be means for displaying a number of print frames on the display means, when the printing-specifying information during printing includes the number of print sheets. Furthermore, the control means may be means for displaying a printing price value corresponding to the number of print sheets onto the display means, when the printing-specifying information during printing includes the number of print sheets. When a printing price is displayed, the digital camera is further equipped with upper-limit value setting means for setting an upper limit of the printing price. In this case it is preferable that the control means be equipped with alarm means for giving an alarm when the printing price exceeds the upper limit number of the printing price.
According to the digital camera of the present invention, the digital image data for which the printing-specifying information was set is displayed onto the displaying means so that the printing-specifying information corresponds to the digital image data. The digital image data with the printing-specifying information and the contents of the printing-specifying information can therefore be recognized with the display means.
According to the digital camera of the present invention, the digital image data for which the printing-specifying information was set and the digital image data for which printing-specifying information was not set are displayed so that they are discriminated from each other. In addition, only the printing-specifying data for which the printing-specifying information was set is displayed. In this way, it can be easily confirmed whether or not digital image data has printing-specifying information.
According to the digital camera of the present invention, digital image data for which printing-specifying information was set is displayed in display form corresponding to the printing-specifying information. As a result, the contents of the printing-specifying information of the displayed digital image data can be visually recognized.
According to the digital camera of the present invention, the total number of print sheets is displayed when printing-specifying information includes the number of print sheets. In this way, users are able to confirm the total number of print sheets and give a price estimation of the print sheets, etc.
According to the digital camera of the present invention, the upper limit value of the total number of print sheets is set. In this way, specification of the number of print sheets greater than a predetermined number of print sheets can be prevented. In this case, the remaining number of print sheets with respect to the upper limit value of the total number of print sheets is displayed. As a result, the remaining number of print sheets can be easily confirmed. Furthermore, when the number of print sheets exceeds the upper limit value of the total number of print sheets, an alarm sound is given, or an alarm display is performed on the display means. Thus, it can be easily confirmed that the number of print sheets has reached the upper limit value.
According to the digital camera of the present invention, the number of print frames is displayed. Users are therefore readily able to recognize the number of print frames that are printed.
According to the digital camera of the present invention, the printing price value corresponding to the number of print sheets is displayed. This means that users are easily able to recognize the present printing price. In this case, the upper limit of the printing price is set. When the printing price exceeds the upper limit number of the printing price, an alarm is given. In this way, it can be easily confirmed that the printing price has reached the upper limit value.